Rocks and ropes give kids fun and faith

Patrick Yeagle

Tuesday

Jun 30, 2009 at 12:01 AMJun 30, 2009 at 2:32 PM

The two rock walls tower 40 feet above the forest floor, daring those in the small clearing below to leave the ground and climb. But the climbers aren't on their own, and that's the point. The course is the new High Elements rope course at Camp Kearney, a free summer camp for disadvantaged kids.

The two rock walls tower 40 feet above the forest floor, daring those in the small clearing below to leave the ground and climb.

But the climbers aren't on their own, and that's the point.

"This course teaches people self-discipline, self-respect, self confidence," said Phil Newton, executive director of South Side Mission in Peoria. "It teaches them how to interact well within the context of a team."

That course is the new High Elements rope course at Camp Kearney, a free summer camp for disadvantaged kids.

Camp Kearney sits on 155 acres of forest and reclaimed prairie about 20 miles south of Peoria off U.S. Route 24.

Newton and other workers at the camp held a ceremony Sunday to dedicate the new course, allowing visitors to try the climbing walls out for the first time.

One of the first to the top was Malik Everett, 13, of Peoria, who attends Sunday school at South Side Mission.

"It was fun," Everett said. "I thought I was going to fall at first, but when I started climbing, I couldn't stop. I just kept going."

Aaron Ellison, assistant director at the camp, said the rock walls are also used to teach lessons of faith.

"There are holds up there that are not quite what they seem," Ellison said. "You try to put your foot on them, and you slip off. There are awesome lessons you can teach from that."

Attached to the rock walls are rope bridges of various types that challenge climbers to overcome their fears.

"We call it a challenge by choice," Ellison said. "Basically, it builds teamwork and leadership skills. You get up there and coach each other through it."

Ellison said he and other camp staff underwent an intense three-day training class to prepare for opening the course.

"I never thought I'd be doing this in a million years," he said.

Camp Kearney will provide summer activities for about 450 kids this year. Many of those kids are disadvantaged children from South Peoria, Newton said.

The privately-funded camp relies on donations from charities such as Ronald McDonald Charities and the Community Foundation of Central Illinois.

Paul Mulholland, executive director of Camp Kearney, said it strives to get kids out of their element and teach them about faith.

"Our main mission at the camp is to present the Gospel," Mulholland said. "We also want to expose them to the outdoors, new experiences they've never had before. A lot of the kids have never even been out of the city."

The camp offers free week-long getaways throughout the summer for the kids, teaching them archery, crafts, outdoor skills and more.

"I'm so impressed that we're able to give these kids a bright spot in a summer that could be gloomy otherwise," Newton said.

Patrick Yeagle can be reached at (309) 686-3251 or pyeagle@pjstar.com.

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